An espresso machine is an appliance used to produce the traditional Italian coffee drink known as an espresso. Those who use these machines professionally such as those found in places like Starbucks are known as barista’s and the knowledge that is required to make the finest espressos is an art that is known by many Italians. Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world and there many of us who first enjoy a warm cup of coffee in the morning before starting any of our work. Because of this and the proliferation of coffee shops and cafes producing these drinks this has created a wide demand for commercial espresso machines.

There are three factors that one should keep in mind before purchasing an espresso machine. The factors that lead to delightful cup of coffee, the time requires to prepare a cup of coffee and the operation and maintenance of the machine. These three factors usually come to mind while buying an espresso machine.

The finely ground bean and the spring or aerated water should be used in an espresso machine Many espresso machine have built in filter in order to make the water taste clearer. Often this espresso machine comes with either one or two espresso shot dispensers. The machine with two dispensers obviously cost more but they do cut down on the time that customers have to wait. It is also important to choose a machine which can produce high levels of steam from the steam rod. Another thing that is important to consider when choosing a commercial espresso machine is that it should be easy to clean after each days use and you should carry this out each day or the coffee grinds and oil that remain will become stale over time and leave a nasty off taste in the coffee you make.

An espresso machine works by shooting out water that is 90 degree centigrade hot using 9 bar of pressure into a puck of freshly ground coffee. The oils in the finely ground coffee are thus extracted and emulsified to create a rich syrupy liquid. Ideally a machine can churn out a double shot of espresso within 20 to 25 seconds. Another element of good espresso making is that the espresso must be roasted light so that its sugars and aroma will not be lost. Darkly-roasted espresso produces a bitter liquid that tastes like charcoal.

The key to good espresso is using an excellent espresso blend. Coffees must be specially blended to produce the smoothness, aromatics and sweetness inherent in good espresso. However, the blend should be freshly ground and brewed within four days from roasting. The different types of espresso machines available are pump-driven espresso machine, piston-driven espresso machine, steam espresso machine, stovetop espresso machine, automatic espresso maker and lastly the super automatic espresso maker. The maintenance of these machines should be minimal even though they are used for hours and if one want to save on the cost of servicing he should consider a commercial espresso machine which has a built in water tank as they do not need plumbing and can be moved anywhere at anytime.

 



Thanks to Article Manager for contributing this article to our Coffee blog:

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Can you answer sam b’s question about Coffee?:

I buy coffee from a stall every morning on my way to work so have decided that it’s worth investing in a decent coffee machine to make my own instead! Which home machine is good for lattes? Is there anything specfic I should look out for?

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Can you answer flower2008’s question about Coffee?:

I bought an espresso machine, and i can’t tell the difference between this and a regular coffee machine, it does the same thing doesn’t it? i know it has a milk frothing arm on it, but is that the only difference?
i didn’t get ripped off, it was only 19.99

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Can you answer Nell’s question about Coffee?:

I’m thinking of getting one for my dorm, but we’re not allowed to have hot plates, or things with hot plates.

These are the coffee machines where the coffee brews directly into a mug.
I don’t mean a detatchable hot plate, the regular coffee makers I’ve seen heats the pot from the bottom.

This coffee machine doesn’t have pods, it has a permanent filter for any kind of coffee and can also be used for soup.

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Can you answer dookiedookiepooo11’s question about Coffee?:

Are coffee machines with permanent coffee filters good? I have a coffee machine that uses the disposable filters, and I’m considering buying one with a permanent filter. Are they good? Are they bad? What are the pros and cons about them?

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